Audible greeting card



A g 1959 E. R. BARNETT, ETAL AUDIBLE" GREETING cm:

Filed June 5, 1967 NJ 28 mnummmmmunumum d I I 1 1 1 I I I:

EUGENE 1:. BARRETT AND WILLARD L. mun,

wyrnzoxs v BY Arrow)?! United States Patent US. Cl. 274-9 20 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A talking greeting card, which audibly delivers a short message or greeting.

This invention relates to greeting cards; and more particularly, concepts of the present invention provide, inexpensively, a greeting card which audibly delivers a greeting.

' The audible capability of the greeting card is advantageously provided quite inexpensively, providing that the talking card may be merchandised within the price range of greeting cards, or only relatively slightly higher. Accordingly, no great sound-fidelity or long-lasting operability is necessarily needed nor asserted; in contrast, the virtue of this greeting card is that it relatively inexpensively provides a novelty item which talks or delivers an audible message or other sound.

The above description is rather general and of an introductory nature; more specific details, components, and concepts of the overall invention are set forth in the following more detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying generally diagrammatic and schematic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the greeting card, portions shown as broken away to disclose details;

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are sectional views, taken generally as indicated by section line X-X of FIG. 1. More specifically:

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an upper panel member;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a lower panel member; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the upper panel member and the lower panel member assembled together to provide the greeting card.

As shown in the drawings, there is provided a talking greeting card formed generally of two relatively movable pieces, that is, a movable panel 12 and a base panel 14. The cards decoration and written greeting are shown illustratively as the text 15 Greetings on your Birthday which is lettered onto the top face of panel 12.

The base panel 14 carries a longitudinally-extending sound-strip 16; and the movable panel 12 is formed adjacent its left end to provide an outwardly-concave or sound-dome portion which provides a speaker 18, underneath which is a sound pick-up shown as a needle 20 which operatively faces the sound-strip 16 of the base panel 14 when the two panels 12 and 14 are assembled.

The arrangement is such that as the movable panel 12 is moved rightwardly with respect to the base panel 14, the needle 20 operatively engages the sound-strip 16, imparting the textual message of the sound-strip 16 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 to the speaker 18, which delivers the message audibly.

An instructional designator text 22, such as the designator word Pull accompanied by a rightwardlypointing arrow, is marked onto the movable panel 12, instructing the user in the manipulation step for operation of the greeting card. A length of string 24 or the like interconnects the right end of the panels 12 and 14 to accommodate the long relative movement thereof; but the string 24 is short enough to prevent complete separation of the two panels 12 and 14. The right-hand end-portion 25 of the panel 12 extends slightly rightwardly of the right-hand end of the panel 14, providing ease of manual access for pulling on the panel 12.

The side edges of the base panel 14 are formed over to provide inwardly-facing retaining grooves 26, into which the side edges of the movable panel 12 are retainingly received. The left end of the base panel 14 is shown as formed upwardly to provide abutment 28, limiting leftward movement of the panel 12.

It will be observed, particularly noting FIG. 4, that the panels 12 and 14 are formed so that slight resilient deformation is required to fit the panel 12 into assembly with the panel 14 with the pick-up needle 20 of panel 12 on the sound-strip 16. This resilient deformation maintains a relative snugness of the panels 12 and 14, and assures operatively suflicient pressure of the needle 20 on the track or sound-strip 16. It also tends to assure (see FIG. 4 in comparison to FIG. 2) that the panels 12 and 14 will be spaced apart for a large area surrounding the needle 20, thereby avoiding dampening of the sound-enhancing effect of one or both the panels 12 and 14. Also, the bowed nature of the parts provides in eifect some air chamber 30 which may enhance the sound-effect, even though panels 12 and 14 are substantially flat.

The s0und-strip 16 and the speaker member 18 with its needle 20 are shown as integrally provided on the panels 12 and 14, respectively. If desired, they may be formed as separate pieces, and assembled onto the respective panels as a manufacturing step, depending upon the specific forming details desired, but preferably bearing in mind that a particular desire is economy in contrast to high sound-fidelity or long-lasting character.

As shown, the dome or sound-horn 18 is shown as supported along its periphery by the top of a cylindrical wall 32 which upwardly extends from the upper panel 12; and beneath the sound-dome 18 and interiorly of the Wall 32 there is thus provided an annular space 34 which may serve as an air-chamber enhancing the sound-effect. In the embodiment as illustrated, it will be observed that the upper panel 12, together with the walls 32 and the diaphragm dome 18, are all formed integrally from Modifications and variations may be elfected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the invention; accordingly, the invention is not limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described or shown.

What is claimed is:

1. An audible greeting card, comprising a pair of panel members, a first one of which carries a sound track, and a second one of which carries a sound pick-up member and an amplifier speaker actuated by said sound pick-up member, the panel members being arranged and relatively movably interconnected in a manner such that relative movement thereof causes the said pick-up member to be operatively engaged; in a combination in which:

the said second panel member being at least substantially as large as said sound track both laterally and longitudinally of the said sound track, and being juxtaposed with respect to the said sound track when the two panel members are in assembled position prior to the relative movement thereof which achieves a sound function; the first one of said panel members is a support member which both non-relativelymovably supports the said sound track and relativelymovably supports the said second panel member.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the said second panel member has an upstanding wall which carries the amplifier speaker to which the pick-up member is operatively secured.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which one of the said first and second panel members is provided with retaining groove means movably receiving portions of the other of said members.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the said first and second panel members are interconnected at spaced points outwardly of said pick-up member, the arrangement being such that at least one of said members must be resiliently deformed with respect to the axis of the sound track to position said pick-up member operatively onto the said sound track.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the said second panel member integrally provides the audible-sound-emitting speaker to which the said pick-up member is operatively secured.

6. The invention as set forth in claim 1, in a combination in which the greeting card has a front panel and a rear panel, and the said panels are themselves constructed to provide respectively the said first and the said second panel members.

7. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the panel members have interengaging abutment means which, with respect to relative movement of the two panel members in a certain direction, limits such relative movement to not substantially more than that in which the two panel members are relatively positioned such that the said pick-up member is at the beginning of the sound track.

8. The invention as set forth in claim 7 in a combination in which said abutment means includes an abutment lug carried by one of said panel members and disposed in the path of the other said panel member when the two panel members are operatively interconnected.

9. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which means are provided which, with respect to relative movement of the two panel members in a direction which achieves the sound function, limits such relative movemenet to that in which the two panel members are not completely separated.

10. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the area of the said second panel member is substantially larger than the area of said amplifier speaker, thereby providing the double function of providing an area for carrying a text or other indicia of relatively large size, and for protecting at least substantially the entire length of the sound track when the two said panels are in the said juxtaposed position of assembly.

11. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the said first panel member, being the one which carries the said sound track, extends outwardly relatively to the speaker-carrying second panel member; and the said sound track-carrying first panel member is the one of the panel members which is graspable manually by the user to support both panel members.

12. The invention as set forth in claim 1 in a combination in which the two panel members are substantially flat; but the positional interrelationship of the sound pick-up member, the sound track, and the means of relative interconnection of the two panel members, is such that assembly of the two panel memberswith the sound pick-up member operatively on the said sound track operatively resiliently deforms at least one of said panel members away from the other said panel member.

13. The invention as set forth in claim 12 in a combination in which the deformation-imparting relationship is with respect to the axis of the sound track and is such that the deformation urges the two panel members toward one another and thereby maintains a frictional engagement of the two panel members retarding inadvertent relative movement thereof even though the panel members would otherwise be relatively freely movable with respect to one another.

14. The invention as set forth in claim 12 in a combination in which the deformation-imparting relationship is such that the deformation urges the two panel members toward one another and thereby maintains the pick-up member operatively forcefully against the sound track.

15. The invention as set forth in claim 12 in a combination in which the deformation-imparting relationship is such that the deformation spaces the two panel members apart sufficiently to provide an air chamber for enhancing the sound-effect even though the panel members are substantially flat.

16. The invention as set forth in claim 12 in a combination in which the deformation-imparting relationship is such that the deformation maintains the speaker-carrying second panel member out of contact with the sound track-carrying first panel member throughout a considerable area outwardly of the sound pick-up member and speaker, and thereby obtaining sound-enhancing vibrations of the said considerable panel area in contrast to a sound-dampening effect thereof by a touching of said speaker-carrying second panel member by said first panel member within said considerable panel area.

17. The invention as set forth in claim 3 in a combination in which the retaining groove means are provided along the side edges of one of the said panel members and operatively interengage the said edges of the other of said panel members.

18. The invention as set forth in claim 3 in a combination in which the said retaining groove means are so located with respect to the portions of the other panel member relatively movably received therein that resilient deformation is imposed by the assembly thereof with the pick-up member operatively on the said sound track.

19. An audible greeting card, comprising:

a pair of members;

means movably interconnecting the members;

a first one of said members having audible-soundemitting means; and

means actuated by relative movement of the two members for actuating the said audible-sound-emitting means;

the interconnecting means being spacedly located, relative to the path of relative movement of said soundemitting means and said actuating means, substantially far apart transversely with respect to said path; in a combination in which the said members are such that at least one of said members is resiliently deformed, transversely outwardly with respect to said 5 6 path, by the assembiy of the two members as inter- References Cited connected by the said interconnecting means, in a UNITED STATES PATENTS portion of the span of said member extending between the said path and said interconnecting means, 1,998,149 4/1935 Warner 274-11 the resilient deformation as thereby obtained pro- 5 2,010,867 8/1935 Kubo 274-42 viding an operatively forceful engagement of said actuating means of the two members. LEONARD FORMAN Pnmary Exammer 20. The invention as set forth in claim 19 in a com- F. I. DAMBROSIO, Assistant Examiner bination in which the two members have side edges and C U.S. l.X.R.

are relatively movably interconnected along said side 10 edges. 274-1, 42

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,462,157 August 19, 1969 Eugene R. Barnett et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shmm below:

line 14, cancel "in a combination in which" and Column 3,

line 66,

insert the same after "function;" in line 21;

Column 4, line 28,

"movemenet" should read movement after "is" insert with respect to the axis of the sound track and Signed and sealed this 21st day of April 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

